Dave the Potter -- Artist, Poet, Slave

* This post is part of the children's Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by The Miss Rumphius Effect * 

Little Brown and Company (pub. 9.7.2010)
40 pages  Grades K-4

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top 

A uthor:  LABAN CARRICK HILL

               and Illustrator:  BRYAN COLLIER

C haracter: Dave, a South Carolina artist,

                     potter and poet who inscribed
                     his poems on the pots he created
                     even though it was illegal for slaves
                     to read or write

O verview from the jacket flap:                                           

"To us                                                                              
it is just dirt,
the ground we walk on...
But to Dave
it was clay,
the plain and basic stuff
upon which he formed a life
as a slave nearly 200 years ago.

      Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s.  He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved on his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave.  In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal... Dave's remarkable story [is] one rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty."

T antalizing taste:

"Each one began

out of clouds of dust,

clotted clumps of clay

ground in the pug mill and carried,

wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow,

to Dave's spinning potter's wheel."

and something more:  Bravo!  Just two weeks ago, it was announced that the children's picture book biography, DAVE THE POTTER, was named a Caldecott Honor Book, and Bryan Collier will be presented with the Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. "Bryan Collier has crafted a stunning visual tribute to the life of an unsung American artist," said Jonda C. McNair, award jury chair.

      Bryan Collier's incredible watercolor and collage illustrations, with powerful words and images of people woven into the backgrounds, remind me of the art of Romare Bearden. After being captivated by his work shown at an exhibit at SFMOMA curated by Ruth Fine of The National Gallery, I wrote a picture book about him (MY HANDS SING THE BLUES illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, Marshall Cavendish Childrens, Fall 2011).  When I toured school groups at this exhibit, children were mesmerized by the amazing collages and always found a sense of connection to the stories and people in Romare Bearden's art.  

     Bryan Collier's biography says that "he directs mural programs throughout the city for any child who wants to paint."  What a wonderful gift he is sharing! After being Program Director for 12 years, he still volunteers with the Harlem Horizon Studio and Harlem Hospital Center with a program that provides working space and materials for self-taught artists in the community. 
     As he explains, "It gives the community, the schools, the kids, and the parents the opportunity to come together for a very positive uplifting cause - the building and re-building of self-esteem, teaching the appreciation of art, and keeping the kids connected and involved and away from negative influences."

     Bryan's Collier's dedication in DAVE THE POTTER says "I dedicate this book to all artists, and everyone who loves picture books.  Because this story is really about the power of the human spirit, artistry, and truth, and that cannot be silenced by bondage of any kind."

     The power of words and art is embodied in Dave's poetry and the art of his pottery, and the poetry and illustrations of DAVE THE POTTER.

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Just Being Audrey

Balzer + Bray (pub. 1.25.2011)
An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers 

32 pages  Grades 1-3

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top
 

A uthor:  MARGARET CARDILLO

               and Illustrator:  JULIA DENOS

C haracters: Audrey Hepburn,
            a movie actress
            and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

O verview from the picture book jacket flap:

    “From Roman Holiday to Breakfast at Tiffany's, when Audrey Hepburn starred in a movie, she lit up the screen. Her unique sense of fashion, her grace, and, most important, her spirit made her beloved by generations. But her life offscreen was even more luminous.
     As a little girl growing up in Nazi-occupied Europe, she learned early on that true kindness is the greatest measure of a person - and it was a lesson she embodied as she became one of the first actresses to use her celebrity to to shine a light on the impoverished children of the world through her work with UNICEF.
     This is Audrey Hepburn as a little girl, an actress, an icon, an inspiration: this is Audrey just being Audrey."

 

T antalizing taste: 

"Audrey traveled all over the world bringing
aid to children in need. 'Like the flowers,' she
said, 'it's the same with children: With a little
help they can survive and they can stand up 
and live another day.'

and something more: After watching Audrey Hepburn's wonderful movies as a girl, I remember trying to stretch my neck in the hopes that I could look and be more like the graceful Audrey Hepburn.  The lovely illustrations and Margaret Cardillo's text capture Audrey's "spirit and joie de vivre", as well as her sense of purpose. As Julia Denos blogged: "Apart from her "look", Audrey's intense need to give, and the joy she experienced doing so, was one of her most stunning characteristics."  After reading the new children's picture book biography, Just Being Audrey, I was curious to read what she actually said to Congress in 1989 that inspired additional support of UNICEF.  Yes, her heart-felt speech to the Select Committee on Hunger embodies the power of words:

"The question I am most frequently asked is, 'What do you really do for UNICEF?' Clearly, my task is to inform, to create an awareness of the needs of children and to fully understand the problems of the state of the world's children. It would be nice to be an expert on education, economics, politics, religions, traditions, and cultures. I am none of these things, but I am a mother, and unhappily there is a need for great advocacy for children, children haunted by undernourishment, disease and death... Every child has the right to health, tenderness, to life."

Yes, indeed.  Just being Audrey was quite wonderful indeed.

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Me, Frida

Abrams Books for Young Readers (pub. 10.1.2010)

32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top
 

A uthor:  AMY NOVESKY

               and Illustrator:  DAVID DIAZ

C haracters:

Frida Kahlo, an artist from Mexico

Diego Rivera, Frida’s husband
                        and an artist from Mexico

O verview from the jacket flap:

    “Like a tiny bird in a big city, Frida Kahlo feels lost and lonely when she first arrives in San Francisco [California in 1930] with her husband, the famous artist Diego Rivera ... Frida wants to be a painter, too.

     But as Frida begins to explore San Francisco on her own, she discovers more than ... beauty, diversity, and exuberance ...  Frida finds the inspiration she needs ...
     Me, Frida is an exhilarating story that encourages young readers to believe in themselves so they can make their own dreams soar."
 

T antalizing taste: 

"She took a ferry across the Golden Gate and walked
in the green headlands high above the ocean.
     For there, she could see the entire glittering
city and all it held, including Diego.  It was small
enough to fit on the wing of a bird.
     For once, Frida felt larger than life.  Me, Frida!
     She felt like she could fly."

and something more:  The Author's Note in the new children's picture book biography, Me, Frida, includes a reproduction of Frida Kahlo's painting, Frieda [as she sometimes spelled her name] and Diego Rivera.  If you ever have the chance, be sure to visit the painting at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (usually displayed on the second floor) and check out the interactive multimedia about Frida Kahlo on the SFMOMA website (in English and Spanish).

     When I was a docent at SFMOMA, I always included this painting in my tours for school groups.  Be sure to compare the size of Frida's shoes and Diego's shoes -- not true to life, but instead echoing Amy Novesky's lyrical text: "She painted Diego big, and she painted herself small, just as the world saw them."  But, as the story shows, Frida felt "larger than life" and her dreams soared.
     For older readers (ages 12 and up), the book Frida !Viva la vida! Long Live Life! (Marshall Cavendish Children) by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand pairs powerful biographical poems with Frida's artwork (23 paintings). Carmen writes about the painting, Frieda and Diego Rivera:

"Wednesday, August 21, 1929

Coyoacan - Today the marriage
between the elephant and a dove...
Frida Kahlo wore
a Tehuana peasant dress
and a rebozo created by the people
for the people
who belong to the people."

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